Julian Draxler (born 20 September 1993) is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Primeira Liga club Benfica, on loan from Ligue 1 club

Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...

, and the Germany national team. Draxler is known for his ability to use both feet, his speed, and the power of his shot. He made his

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...

debut for

Schalke 04 Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine ...

aged 17 in January 2011, and in May of that year scored the first goal as the side won the DFB-Pokal Final. In total, he played 171 competitive matches for Schalke, scoring 30 goals, before transferring to

VfL Wolfsburg Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg () or Wolfsburg, is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of W ...

in 2015. In January 2017, he joined PSG. A full international with over 40 caps since 2012, he was part of the Germany squad who won the 2014 FIFA World Cup, reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016 and was the captain of the side that won the

2017 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup was the 10th and final edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup, a quadrennial international men's football tournament organised by FIFA. It was held in Russia, from 17 June to 2 July 2017, as a prelude to the 201 ...

, a tournament in which Draxler was awarded the Golden Ball trophy as the best player of the competition.

Club career

Schalke 04

Draxler made his

debut on 15 January 2011 in a 0–1 loss to

Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its football section. Though the current HSV was founded in June 1919 from a merger of three ...

. At that time, he was the fourth-youngest Bundesliga player ever and the youngest in Schalke's history. One week later, in Schalke's 1–0 win against Hannover 96, he became the second-youngest field player after Nuri Şahin to start a Bundesliga match. On 25 January 2011, Julian Draxler came on as a substitute for

Peer Kluge Peer Kluge (born 22 November 1980) is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Kluge played for Chemnitzer FC, Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Nürnberg and Schalke 04 before signing for Hertha BSC. Career st ...

in the quarter-finals of the

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

DFB-Pokal The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considered ...

against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second half of extra time. He scored his first goal for Schalke 04 in the dying seconds of the same match to ensure a 3–2 for his club. He scored his first Bundesliga goal on 1 April 2011 against

FC St. Pauli Fußball-Club St Pauli von 1910 e.V., commonly known as simply FC St Pauli (), is a German professional football club based in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, that competes in the 2. Bundesliga. The football department is part of a larger sp ...

. Draxler opened the scoring in Schalke's

2011 DFB-Pokal Final The 2010–11 DFB-Pokal season came to a close on 21 May 2011 when Duisburg played against Schalke 04 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. For the first time since 2004, a team from the 2. Bundesliga reached the final. Schalke 04 won the cup for the ...

victory over MSV Duisburg, volleying in from outside the area, scoring the first of what proved to be five unanswered goals for Schalke. He finished the 2010–11 season with 1 goal in 15 league appearances, two goals in three DFB-Pokal appearances and six

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...

appearances. In the 2011–12 season, Draxler played an important part in securing third place and 2011–12 UEFA Champions League qualification for Schalke, appearing in 30 of 34

matches, mainly on the left side of midfield to accommodate

Lewis Holtby Lewis Harry Holtby (born 18 September 1990) is a German professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Holstein Kiel. Holtby began his professional career with Alemannia Aachen before signing for FC Schalke 04 ...

in a central role. He also had a goal in two

matches, two goals in the

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...

, and an appearance in the DFL-Supercup. The following season, Draxler continued to prove himself to be an important first team player, scoring in matches against Greuther Fürth,

Werder Bremen Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are best known for the ...

, Borussia Mönchengladbach and in a high-scoring 5–4 victory against Hannover 96. Draxler continued to play an important role after Holtby's departure and the signing of

Michel Bastos Michel Fernandes Bastos (born 2 August 1983) is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who mainly played as a left winger. Bastos started his career at hometown club Pelotas before moving to the Netherlands, where he played for Feyenoord ...

, allowing Draxler to impress in his favoured attacking midfield position, including two goals in a 4–1 victory at

. While scoring in a 2–1 win to complete a league double over rivals Borussia Dortmund, Draxler became Schalke's youngest ever player to appear in 100 competitive games. On 3 May, he scored the match's only goal as Schalke defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 1–0 at

Borussia-Park Borussia-Park (; stylised as BORUSSIA-PARK) is a football stadium in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany which serves as the home stadium of Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach. It replaced the smaller Bökelbergstadion, wh ...

. Draxler finished the 2012–13 season as Schalke's joint top goalscorer in the

– along with striker

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Dirk Jan Klaas "Klaas-Jan" Huntelaar (; born 12 August 1983) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a striker. Huntelaar played for PSV, De Graafschap, AGOVV Apeldoorn, Heerenveen, Ajax, Real Madrid and Milan, before joining ...

– after finishing the season with ten goals. He also scored two goals in three

matches and one goal in six

matches.

In May 2013, amid rumours of interest from English

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

clubs as well as from Borussia Dortmund, Draxler extended his contract for a further two years, until 30 June 2018. On 2 October 2013, Draxler scored in a 1–0 away win against

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

in the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League. This win took Schalke 04 to the top of their group. In the final match of the Champions League group stage, Draxler opened the scoring for Schalke in a 2–0 victory against Basel, taking them through to the

knockout phase A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...

of the tournament. He finished the 2013–14 season with 2 goals in 26 appearances in the

, two appearances in the

and four goals in ten appearances in the Champions League. He would go on to score 2 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions in the following season. On 27 July 2015, Schalke rejected a bid of €15 million from Juventus, after reports that the Italian side and Draxler had already agreed personal terms. Schalke general manager

Horst Heldt Horst Heldt (born 9 December 1969) is a German football executive and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the former general manager of 1. FC Köln. Playing career Heldt was born in Königswinter. He played at 1. FC Köln from 1990 ...

felt the offer was far too low and informed Juventus that there would be no further talks. On 31 August 2015, Draxler signed for VfL Wolfsburg. His final match was a 3–0 loss to Wolfsburg three days prior to the transfer. He finished his 2015–16 account for Schalke with one goal in three

matches and a

match.

VfL Wolfsburg

On 31 August 2015, Draxler signed for VfL Wolfsburg on a five-year deal for a reported initial fee of €36 million plus add-ons. He scored his first goal for Wolfsburg on 15 September 2015, in a 1–0 win over

CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow (russian: ЦСКА Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet era, it was a central piece of the big So ...

on his Champions League debut for the club. On 31 October, he registered his first Bundesliga goal with the ''Wolves'', scoring the winner after appearing as a substitute against

Bayer Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, t ...

. In the knockout phase of the 2015–16 Champions League, against Gent, Draxler scored twice in a 3–2 away win in the first leg. On 8 March in the second leg at the

Volkswagen Arena Volkswagen Arena (; also known as the VfL Wolfsburg Arena due to UEFA sponsorship regulations) is a football stadium in the German city of Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. It was opened in 2002 and named after the automotive group Volkswagen AG. The V ...

, he assisted

André Schürrle André Horst Schürrle (; born 6 November 1990) is a German former professional footballer who played as a forward. He began his career at Mainz 05 in 2009, spending two years at the club before a £6.5 million transfer to Bayer 04 Leverku ...

for the only goal of the match as Wolfsburg reached the quarter-finals for the first time in club history. However, media sources reported that Draxler had failed to fulfill expectations with the ''Wolves'' and often appeared like a "foreign body" in the team. He ended the 2015–16 season with 8 goals and 7 assists from 28 appearances. Ahead of the 2016–17 season, Draxler announced that he wished to leave VfL Wolfsburg and that the club would allow him to transfer if it received an attractive offer. Despite reported interest from Arsenal and

, Draxler could not secure a transfer away from Wolfsburg during the summer transfer window. On his return to the Wolfsburg team, Draxler was loudly booed by the club's supporters and described the following four months as "the worst first half of a season of my career".

Paris Saint-Germain

On 24 December 2016, it was announced on VfL Wolfsburg's website that Draxler would be joining Paris Saint-Germain on a four-year contract, for a reported fee of €42 million, pending a medical examination. The transfer was officially completed on 3 January 2017. On 7 January, Draxler made his competitive debut for PSG in a

Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and profession ...

fixture against

Bastia Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...

at the Parc des Princes. He scored the final goal of a 7–0 victory in the 89th minute, after being assisted by

Hatem Ben Arfa Hatem Ben Arfa ( ar, حاتم بن عرفة, ; born 7 March 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger and attacking midfielder. Known for his flair and dribbling ability, he is regarded as a fan favorite with a cult follow ...

. Draxler debuted in Ligue 1 seven days later and scored the match's only goal as the champions won 1–0 away at Rennes. On 1 February, he scored twice against the same opposition in the

to take him to four goals in five appearances in French football. On 14 February, Draxler scored on his first Champions League appearance for PSG, a 4–0 home win over

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

in the

round of 16 A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...

. On 26 February, he scored after appearing as a substitute in PSG's 5–1 win against rivals

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

in ''

Le Classique Le Classique (, The Classic) is the rivalry between French professional football clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. The duo are the two most successful clubs in French football, and the only French teams to have won major Eur ...

'' at the Stade Vélodrome. On 1 April, Draxler scored the opening goal in PSG's 4–1 win over

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

in the 2017 Coupe de la Ligue Final. Between 2018 and 2020, Draxler won three Ligue 1, three Coupe de France, and three Coupe de la Ligue titles. He also played in the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final, which PSG lost 1–0 against Bayern Munich. Draxler scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season in a 1–0 win against

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

on 16 September 2020. This was his first goal since the 2018–19 season. In a 4–0 victory against

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...

on 24 October, Draxler suffered a hamstring injury; he made his return on 16 December in a 2–0 win over

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presen ...

. In May 2021, he extended his contract with PSG until 2024.

Loan to Benfica

Draxler joined Benfica on a season-long loan for a reported fee of €2.5 million on transfer deadline day, 1 September 2022. He made his Primeira Liga debut nine days later, featuring in Benfica's 1–0 away against Famalicão. He scored his first goal on 18 September, closing a 5–0 home win over Marítimo.

International career

On 9 August 2011, Draxler scored on his debut for the Germany under-21 side in the 4–1 win over

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

in a

2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Thirteen or 13 may refer to: * 13 (number), the natural number following 12 and preceding 14 * One of the years 13 BC, AD 13, 1913, 2013 Music * 13AD (band), an Indian classic and hard rock band Albums * ''13'' (Black Sabbath album), 2013 ...

qualifier. On 7 May 2012, he was one of two uncapped players called up into the provisional squad for the UEFA Euro 2012 senior side for

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. On 26 May 2012, he made his debut for the senior side in Germany's 5–3 loss to Switzerland, coming on as a substitute to replace

Lukas Podolski Lukas Josef Podolski (; born Łukasz Józef Podolski, , on 4 June 1985) is a German professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ekstraklasa club Górnik Zabrze. Known for his powerful and accurate left foot, he is known for his explosive ...

in the 62nd minute. His first international goal was scored on 2 June 2013 in a friendly against the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The goal was scored in the 81st minute to bring the score to 3–4, finishing a rebound off goalkeeper Tim Howard. Draxler captained Germany in a goalless friendly against

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

on 13 May 2014, a match in which seven of his teammates were debutants. In June 2014, Draxler was named in Germany's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He made his first World Cup appearance as a 76th-minute substitute for

Sami Khedira Sami Khedira (; born 4 April 1987) is a German former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. He began his career at VfB Stuttgart, winning the Bundesliga in 2007, before moving to Real Madrid in 2010. In his five seasons i ...

in the semi-final 7–1 victory over Brazil. On 13 July, he was an unused substitute as Germany defeated

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

at the Maracanã Stadium to win its fourth

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

. Draxler made only two appearances for the world champions during the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. However, he started on the left side of Germany's attack in four of their six matches at Euro 2016 finals, also appearing as a substitute in the quarter-final against

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and converting his kick in the 6–5

penalty shootout The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...

win. He was named Man of the Match for his performance against

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

, assisting

Mario Gómez Mario Gómez García (; born 10 July 1985) is a German former professional footballer who played as a striker. He represented the Germany national team over a period of 11 years between 2007 and 2018. Gómez began his professional career with ...

's second goal before scoring the third himself in a 3–0 win. Draxler was named captain of an inexperienced Germany squad for the

, scoring a penalty kick in the team's opening match as they defeated Australia 3–2. Following Germany's title win, Draxler was awarded the Golden Ball as best player of the tournament. On 4 June 2018, Germany's manager

Joachim Löw Joachim Löw (born 3 February 1960) is a German football coach and former player. He was the manager of the Germany national team from 2006 until 2021. During his tenure as manager, he led Germany to victory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil ...

included Draxler in his final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On 17 June, Draxler made a World Cup appearance during their opening match against Mexico national football team, Mexico in which the Germans lost 1–0. He then played in a 2–1 win over Sweden national football team, Sweden. However, Germany finished last in their group after a 2–0 loss against South Korea national football team, South Korea, and were knocked out from the group stage of the World Cup. Later on, Draxler was not included in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2020, Euro 2020.

Playing style

Draxler is Footedness, two-footed and known for his Footspeed, speed and intensity in one-on-one situations. He is mainly deployed as a left Winger (association football), winger but he can also be deployed as a right winger and as an attacking midfielder. In his Schalke 04 youth career, Draxler was deployed mainly as an attacking midfielder where he always felt most at home. In addition, Draxler is known for possessing a powerful and impressive shot. In January 2014, Draxler was named by ''The Observer'' as one of the ten most promising young players in Europe. FIFA's official website describes Draxler as "tall, fast, with a keen eye for goal, and an exceptional talent in one-on-one situations from his regular position as a left-sided attacking midfielder".

Personal life

Draxler was born in Gladbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia. He attended the Heisenberg-Gymnasium in Gladbeck before changing to Gesamtschule Berger Feld in 2011. In his childhood, he would regularly go with his father to watch Schalke 04's home matches and since then has been a fan of the club. Draxler was engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Lena Stiffel. In 2019, he started dating a French dancer and choreographer, Sethanie Taing.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''As of match played 7 October 2020. Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first.''

Honours

Schalke 04 *

*DFL-Supercup: 2011 DFL-Supercup, 2011 Paris Saint-Germain * Ligue 1: 2017–18 Ligue 1, 2017–18, 2018–19 Ligue 1, 2018–19, 2019–20 Ligue 1, 2019–20, 2021–22 Ligue 1, 2021–22 *Coupe de France: 2016–17 Coupe de France, 2016–17, 2017–18 Coupe de France, 2017–18, 2019–20 Coupe de France, 2019–20, 2020–21 Coupe de France, 2020–21 *Coupe de la Ligue: 2016–17 Coupe de la Ligue, 2016–17, 2017–18 Coupe de la Ligue, 2017–18, 2019–20 Coupe de la Ligue, 2019–20 *Trophée des Champions: 2017 Trophée des Champions, 2017, 2020 Trophée des Champions, 2020 Germany *FIFA World Cup: 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2014 *FIFA Confederations Cup: 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2017 Individual * Fritz Walter Medal U18 Gold: Fritz Walter Medal#2011, 2011 *Goal of the Year (Germany), Sportschau Goal of the Year Award: 2013 (shared with Raúl (footballer), Raúl) *''Kicker (sports magazine), kicker''

Team of the Season: 2013–14 Bundesliga, 2013–14 *Bundesliga Young Player of the Year: 2013–14 Bundesliga, 2013–14 *FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball: 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup#Awards, 2017

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Draxler, Julian 1993 births Living people People from Gladbeck Sportspeople from Münster (region) Footballers from North Rhine-Westphalia German footballers Germany youth international footballers Germany under-21 international footballers Germany international footballers Association football midfielders Association football wingers FC Schalke 04 players VfL Wolfsburg players Paris Saint-Germain F.C. players S.L. Benfica footballers Bundesliga players Ligue 1 players Primeira Liga players 2014 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2016 players 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup players 2018 FIFA World Cup players FIFA World Cup-winning players FIFA Confederations Cup-winning players German expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in France German expatriate sportspeople in France Expatriate footballers in Portugal German expatriate sportspeople in Portugal People educated at the Gesamtschule Berger Feld